His family, friends and fans are remembering Zeke Upshaw as an exceptional player on the Grand Rapids Drive Basketball Team and as an exceptional person.
Upshaw collapsed on the Deltaplex court near the end of the game Saturday night, March 24. His family says he died late Monday morning, March 26. Upshaw played in college at Illinois State and Hofstra Universities. He went to high school at the Chicago Laboratory High School where they put more emphasis on brains than basketball skills. His coach, Troy Caldwell, says Upshaw had both.
“I had the opportunity to coach a lot of good basketball players,” says Coach Caldwell. “He was probably the best player I’ve coached. And I never had an issue with him, on or off the court. I can’t say that about every kid I’ve coached in my career. He was the best kid to coach.”
We don’t yet know what caused 26-year-old Zeke Upshaw to collapse on the basketball court.
Upshaw helped the Grand Rapids Drive reach the post season playoffs for the first time in team history.
The first playoff game was scheduled for Wednesday night, March 28. It has been postponed until Friday, March 31. The Drive team will wear a “Zeke” patch on their uniforms in his memory.
“Still in a state of shock,” says Coach Caldwell. “It is really starting to sink in he is no longer with us. It is devastating. Really devastating.”
Following the news that Upshaw had died, Drive teammates, the NBA G-League and basketball players from around the country shared their condolences on social media:
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